Beginning of the End
by mistysailormoon
Summary: "This," thought Lily Evans. "Is going to be an interesting year." How right she was. (Cover art: Burdge)


**Disclaimer:** All characters and locations belong to the brilliant J.K. Rowling, a dreamer like us.

 _Cold fingers wrapped themselves around her pale throat. Sneering black eyes gazed down into her defiant green ones. The fingers tightened. Choking now, her pale freckled faced began turning a light shade of puce. Her green eyes began to water and her heart rate picked up as if it were sensing its last beats. The cold black eyes narrowed in barely concealed anger and resentment, however a slight sadness was concealed behind the fury. A slightly shaking wand was held in front of her dying face and she heard the words, "Avada Ked -" before the hands were ripped away from her throat and her world went black._

Lily Evans sat on the swings near her family's home in Cokeworth idly twisting back and forth. Her mind was swirling with dark and sad thoughts quite contrary to the bright and sunny day. It had been over a year since the end of her 5th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It had been over a year since her friendship with Severus Snape had brutally ended. " _I don't need help from a filthy mudblood like her!" Mudblood._ The word still rang in her head banging around and around. It's not like Lily had never heard the word directed at her before, it was just a whole other experience having it screamed at her by her best friends of six years whom she had already been losing to the Dark Arts. The moment that stupid word left Sev - _no Snape's_ she mentally scolded herself - mouth their friendship had shattered like a window. _Like a sharp piercing window_ Lily thought to herself.

She was rudely started out of her gloomy thoughts by a little girl pulling on her skirt. The little girl's big hazel eyes were full of curiosity and her slightly grimy hand left a slight stain on Lily's white skirt.

Smiling at the little girl's blatant curiosity Lily asked, "Hi my name's Lily. What's your name?"

The little girl smiled back, her open lips revealing missing front teeth. "My name's Tammy and I'm -". Her face creased in concentration and she looked at her fingers as she counted out numbers. Suddenly her face brightened and she held out four fingers.

"You're four?" Lily smiled. Tammy nodded. "Well I'm seventeen."

Eyes widening Tammy put the thumb of the hand that wasn't currently holding Lily's skirt in her mouth.

"I know I'm old right?"

Tammy smiled again nodding vigorously.

Suddenly, thinking properly, Lily asked quickly, "Tammy where are your parents?"

"They are at work. Well my mum isn't but she's walking here with my cousin," Tammy replied pronouncing her 's's as 'd's.

"Oh well why are you here by yourself then?" Lily inquired. _It's dangerous times around these parts these days… especially with him around_ Lily thought to herself refusing to use Snape's name.

"I wanted to swing, but you looked sad," her brows furrowed in concern as she peered at Lily as if measuring to see if she would start crying.

"Oh... " Lily was at a loss for words for a moment. "Well, I was, but, uh, now I'm not."

"Okay!" Tammy exclaimed, chipper like almost all four year olds. She hesitated for a moment before shyly looking up at Lily from her eyelashes. "Will you push me?"

Lily was confused for a moment before seeing Tammy point at the slightly swaying swings beside Lily.

"Yes, of course," Lily held out her hand for Tammy to take and when she did Lily stood up and helped her on the seat. Standing behind the younger girl Lily gently pushed on her back, swinging her higher and higher into the air with every shove. Tammy squealed in delight kicking her feet and smiling so hard it had to hurt.

As the younger girl rose higher and higher Lily was painfully reminded of when she and her sister used to do the same thing. Only Lily was the one on the swing and Petunia was the one pushing. The happy memories she used to share with her sister, however, were over as Petunia had made it blatantly clear she wanted nothing to do with Lily, her magic, or her freak friends.

Lily was, again, startled out of her depressing thoughts by the arrival of Tammy's mum and her.

"Tammy!" Tammy's mum screeched running towards the pair.

"Uh-oh," Tammy mumbled pulling her sneakers through the dirt to slow her swing down.

Now Lily was really confused. Didn't Tammy just say she was allowed to go ahead? Then why would her mum be so panicked?

Tammy's mum reached the pair and she unceremoniously yanked Tammy off the swing and squatted down to eye level. "Tammy where have you been? Your cousin and I were panicked! You are only four years old and that age is not even close to you being allowed to wander by yourself! For all we know you could've been kidnapped, hit by a car, or even worse killed!" her tirade went on in this manner for close to ten minutes. Lily was surprised to hear a person who could give Professor McGonagall a run for her money.

"Sorry… " Tammy whispered sadly sticking her thumb back inside her mouth.

Eyes softening, Tammy's mum smiled and tucked a lock of hair behind Tammy's ear. "It's okay darling, but please, please, please, never do anything like this again."

"Yes mummy," Tammy smiled, her thumb already forgotten.

Noticing Lily for the first time Tammy's mum frowned slightly her eyebrows creasing together. "And who are you?" she asked her voice slightly cold.

Startled by the coldness of Tammy's mother all Lily could think to say was, "Oh… I'm Lily. Lily Evans. Your daughter just wanted a push on the swing so I gave her one. But I'm nobody." She couldn't help but adding, "Ma'am."

"Well Miss Evans, I -" Tammy's mother started but was interrupted by an all too familiar voice shouting, "EVANS! Hey EVANS!"

Groaning internally and cursing her luck Lily turned her gaze from the now confused mother of Tammy to the fast approaching form of James Potter.

"Lily, hi!" James Potter exclaimed giving her a lopsided smile. His dark hair was still sticking up in every direction and his glasses were still perched precariously on his face. Growth over the summer led to Lily now having to look up to stare him in the eyes which were glinting mischievously.

"Potter." Lily replied dully already wishing she hadn't seen him until the train left in a week like she had planned. Out of all the people in Hogwarts James Potter was one of her least favorite, future Death Eaters excluded.

Choosing to ignore the unhappy look Lily was sending his way James said, "Aunt Diane this is Lily Evans. She goes to school with me. Evans this is my Aunt Diane."

"Oh my dear I am so sorry for berating you!" Diane exclaimed looking extremely upset with herself. "I had no idea you knew James."

"It's alright," Lily replied already planning her escape route back to her room in her Potter-free house.

"Oh still I feel so dreadful after you took care of little Tammy for us," she bit her lip. "Would you like to come and get some ice cream with us? To make up for me being horrid to you?"

"Oh no really it's okay I have to get home anyways," Lily started stepping sideways in the direction of her house.

"Well, if you're sure - " Diane hesitated.

"Yes really. My mum will be wondering where I've gone any time now."

"Okay, but, uh - James!"

"Yes?" he looked up from where he had been climbing the monkey bars with Tammy.

"Walk Lily back home will you?" Diane smiled sweetly.

His eyes lit up and he immediately dropped from the bars and loped his way over. "Of course my dear Aunt anything for you, " he quipped wickedly while she took a swipe at him. "C'mon Lily dearest let's get you home."

Dreading the prospect of having Potter walk her home Lily opened her mouth to argue but James's aunt had already turned away.

 _Drat_ she thought and turned towards Potter.

"Alright Evans - enough of that dearest nonsense not that my aunt is out range -" he glanced around. "Which way?"

Choosing not to respond Lily turned her back on him and started walking off the playground.

"Lily! Evans! Wait up I'm supposed to walk you home!"

"Well hurry up then!" she snapped tired of being around Potter for more than five minutes.

"Bloody -" she shot a scathing look at him. "I mean geez who got your knickers in a twist. I understand I've been outright horrible to you in the past, but I haven't done anything yet to deserve this treatment."

Feeling her anger subside Lily sighed, "Sorry. I guess I've just have a rotten day and you came along and we've never gotten on the best so I need to take it out on someone -" She rambled on.

"Okay Evans I get it, I get it." Potter ran his hand through his hair as if he was uncertain what to do next. "Uh… you want to talk about it?" He looked slightly nervous as he said this.

"Eh -"

"C'mon Evans you can trust me. I promise I really have changed," he shot her a smirk.

"Okay that smirk right there," she pointed to his face. "Just challenges that entire statement."

"Ah Evans," he whined putting on his best puppy dog face.

"How do I know you wouldn't go blabbing to Sirius the moment I spill?"

"Ah Evans you know me better than that -"

"Actually I don't. Mortal enemies remember?"

"Well I vaguely remember you being more of the 'mortal enemy' idealist than me but …"

"Potter," Lily warned.

"Evans," Potter mocked back fighting to keep a grin off of his face.

"This conversation is pointless," she pointed out.

"Hey I'm just glad you haven't hexed me yet," Potter laughed.

Lily rolled her eyes and slowly became aware of their surroundings. In all their pointless chatter the pair had turned down the wrong street and they continued down Spinners End instead of Mongoose Avenue.

"Bloody hell," she cursed silently trying to find a way to turn Potter around before his voice caught the attention of the last person she wanted to see.

"And so really, in the scheme of things that is, Quidditch really is so much more than a gam - Evans are you even listening?" Potter exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah. Quidditch is fun. Now turn around Potter we are on the wrong street," she shooed him along.

"Geez Evans I'm coming, I'm coming. No need to be so pushy." he whined his voice echoing against the shady houses.

Just as they made it back to the sunlight and were about to turn off Spinner's End, a door opened and a skinny, shallow-skinned young man stepped out. His hair hung in a greasy curtain partly obscuring his face and he wore tattered jeans and a large overcoat. The most distinguishable thing about this young man was not his appearance but the overly large scowl and cold, hard black eyes fixated on the pair down the street.

"Potter." the young man's voice was malevolent and cold.

James's jaw tensed and his hand drifted towards his pocket as he recognized the voice.

Lily recognized the voice too and just the sound of it nearly drove her to tears.

"Snape." James replied his voice calm and steady despite the steel embedded in his hazel-eyed glare.

Snape's eyes quickly flickered to Lily and for a microsecond they softened. However, soon his flinty gaze was back and his wand was quickly drawn as he looked back at James.

Lily's gaze flickered between James and Snape - her eyes in particular being drawn by Snape's drawn wand. She slowly sidled closer to James and attempted to position herself in front of him. _Maybe_ she thought _Sev - no Snape - will hesitate in cursing me._

It was true. In the almost year and a half since their friendship ended Snape had never once called Lily a mudblood nor had he cursed her. The same, however, could not be said for the remainder of Hogwarts muggleborn students.

Snapping to her senses and trying to avoid a fight Lily put her hand on James's chest and pushed him backwards a few steps. "C'mon Potter. Let's just go." she murmured quietly.

"Lily."

She turned in surprise.

Snape's still-cold eyes bored into her hard green ones. Green eyes that used to dance with light and mirth when they spent time together but now just held defiance and steel when they gazed upon his. Snape visibly deflated under her gaze.

"How - how c - could you do this to me?" his voice started about shaky and ended barely above a whisper almost as if he was afraid to ask.

For a moment Lily was numb with disbelief. _How could_ _ **I**_ _?_ she shouted angrily in her head. _How could_ _ **I**_ _?_ Before she knew what was happening she had strode forward several angry steps until she was face-to-face with her former friend.

Snape shrunk down further.

"How could _I_? her voice was barely above a whisper but it carried a weight and Snape shuddered as if struck. "What right to do have to say that? What gives you the right to say I hurt you?" she laughed mirthlessly. "You destroyed our friendship Snape and with it any ties or hurt we may have previously shared."

"But - you - with Potter." he glared at James over Lily's shoulder.

By now Lily was beside herself in rage. _How dare he bring Potter into this._ Before she knew it she was screaming her voice echoing and bouncing on the houses.

"YOU DO NOT OWN ME SNIVELLUS!" she screamed resorting to the pet name Potter and his friends had given Snape in 5th year. "HOW DARE YOU TELL ME WHO I CAN'T BE AROUND!"

Snape shrunk down even further a mere speck on the ground.

"WE ARE NOT FRIENDS! YOU RUINED OUR FRIENDSHIP! YOU! NOT ME! SO DON'T COME AROUND AND START ACTING LIKE YOU ARE PROTECTING ME BECAUSE YOU AREN'T! YOU'RE JUST A LYING BACK-STABBING COWARD AND IT MAKES ME SICK TO THINK OF ALL THE TIME I WASTED AND HURT I SUFFERED FOR BEING YOUR FRIEND!"

"Lily please -" he muttered weakly. "I - I didn't mean -"

"You didn't mean to call me mudblood?" Snape shuddered and opened his mouth.

"No Snape. Save it for someone who cares why don't you." she said coldly her voice worse than when she was shouting. "Why am I any different from any other mudblood in the school. You took your path and I took mine. You can't erase the past Snape so why even bother. It's not like you even mean it anyways." And with that she turned promptly on her heel and walked back to where James Potter was standing with a slightly dumbfounded look on his face.

"Wow…" he muttered as Lily grabbed him by the arm and they left the street and Severus Snape behind for good.

Lily rolled her eyes but noticed a light, carefree feeling in her chest. The depression and dark thoughts that had permeated her thoughts earlier were gone; lost when she screamed her hurt at the one who had caused them.

James allowed himself to be drug down Mongoose Avenue until Lily jerked to a stop in front of a small house. He turned his eyes to the house and saw was painted a sunshine yellow and had a bright red door but, truthfully, he didn't see much else.

Turning to James Lily noticed he was staring at her with wide eyes.

"What?" she asked self-consciously looking down at her shirt.

"Bloody hell Evans I - just - I didn't know you had that in you. I thought you were always - oh I don't know - I didn't think you ever had any resentment."

"Yeah well," Lily snorted. "We're not all what we are made out to be. Imagine that, huh?"

"Yeah I guess so…" Potter trailed off a far-away look on his face. Suddenly shaking his head he smiled lopsidedly down at Lily. "Say Evans you wouldn't happen to be Head Girl would you?"

Raising one eyebrow in confusion she said, "Yes… why?"

With a flourish he pulled out a shiny all-too-familiar scarlet badge with a gold-embossed 'HB' on the front.

Lily was speechless. _Dumbledore really must be mad_ she thought slowly. _But,_ a nagging voice in the back of her head said _he was a very good Quidditch captain. Everyone listens to and looks up to him. And, from what I've seen, he seems to have matured a bit._

"Lillllly…" James waved his hand in front of her face. "Say something Lily."

"I - uh - congratulations."

James looked surprised for a moment before schooling his features into something inbetween his usual cocky smile and a nervous grimace. "It's all right Evans I know what you're really thinking."

"And what's that?"

"How I'm going to be a horrid Head Boy since I can't seem to get my head out of my arse. How insulted and ridiculous you feel because you have to work with a trouble-maker like me. How you want me to step down so someone more worthy can get the position. Yeah Evans I know."

Lily was completely blown away. Seeing James Potter downgrade his own achievement was a surprise in and of itself - not to mention a bit of a shocker.

"I don't think you are going to be horrid," she said slowly raising her emerald eyes to meet his stressed hazel ones. "Potter - James," she corrected herself. "You were an amazing Quidditch Captain. Yes, I saw the games," she added when she saw James's skeptical look. "People look up to you Pot - er - James and I think if - and I mean if - you do get your head out of your arse," she smiled. "I think you and I may be able to work together. I think you may just be a great Head Boy."

James looked shocked for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing a full-out belly laugh. Through his bursts of laughter he managed to spit out, "I - never - thought I'd see - the day when - Lily Evans - a- ac - actually - thinks I'm worth something!" He seemed so gleeful and happy about this fact that Lily couldn't stop the small smile from forming on her face.

"Well I completely think Dumbledore's off his rocker, of course," she replied.

"Oh I completely agree," he said back all seriousness. "But - er - I won't let you down Evans - I - that's a promise."

Still smiling at his seriousness Lily made her way slowly up the path leading to her house, turned, and said, "James Potter of that I have no doubt." Then, she turned and went inside the house. Through the peephole, though, she saw James stand there for a moment longer - a stupid grin on his face - before shaking his head and making his way back down the road towards the park.

 _This_ thought Lily _is going to be one interesting year._

How right she was.


End file.
